Drowning by a Helping Hand
by Luyu
Summary: At last, Emily makes the call for Claire to visit La Push and Quil couldnt be more thrilled. But on the flight over Claire befriends a glamorous girl who introduces her to a fastpaced lifestyle different from her own. Can Quil save her before it's to late
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic so please be nice! I tweaked Quil and Claire's age difference because it was a little great for my comfort. I also put the story into a few peoples perspective, each chapter is a specific person's point of view. (I had a hard time choosing one person.)

_Emily_

"Emily…" There was a pause from the machine "please, she's 18 now. It's been so long." Begging in his most convincing voice. All week, every single day he had left similar messages on my machine. Caller I.D. is a lifesaver when you're trying to avoid a potentially lovesick werewolf on your hands.

Sam nuzzled his face into my neck when I pushed the erase button for the 8th time this week. God I still love it when he does that, goose bumps freckled my arms when his hot breath met my skin. "It will be her choice" He promised in my ear. All the joy and wonders of having your soul mate still haven't been enough for me to call my sister.

I just couldn't be responsible for an injury. My stomach twisted, flashes of a younger furious Sam terrified me.

"He can control himself now." My body must have betrayed me.

"If she rejects him?"

"He's had many years to think this through Em, he would only be mad at himself." His arms entwined themselves around my waist, "I've seen him rehearse it many times in his head."

If he kept touching me, I was going to give in. I think he knows. Sliding his hands up my body he rubbed my shoulders before taking my face in his hands. Closing my eyes I sighed in defeat. "Trust me," The phone dropped into my hands.

"Hello?" the warm familiar voice of my sister came from the earpiece.

"Gin! How are you?"

"Emily? Is something wrong?"

"No" That was a painful blow, my sister thinks I only call when something is wrong.

"Emily? Are you still there?"

"Sorry...Yeah, actually I was wondering if my favorite niece would like to visit for Christmas vacation"

"Oh, "I could hear the surprise in her voice, I don't know what she was expecting. "I think she'd love that, I'll as her when she gets home from school"

"That would be great Gin, thanks. I love you sis." There, I did it.

"I love you Emily" Sam whispered in my ear

_Claire_

Being on an airplane is bad enough for me, I've been on a plane before but I was way too young to remember. Now it's ½ past midnight in the middle of a thunderstorm, and the girl I was seated next to is having a fit. Great.

She looks younger than me, maybe by a few years. Her reaction to the turbulence is intense. We hit a patch and her hands flew to the sides of her seat, clenching hard until her knuckles were white as paper. Her eyes were closed the entire flight, I had figured she was sleeping.

"Um...Are you ok?"

The girls face scrunched up into a grimace as though I was drawing my hand back to slap her. "I'm fine" she replied through gritted teeth. Sympathy for the poor creature made me forget how terrified I really am. Though it certainly wasn't my style to force conversations I couldn't help but try, and with my best cheerful demeanor I pursued a conversation.

"I'm Claire" I watched her face carefully for a reaction this time. she gave away nothing, but turned to look at me. I hadn't realized how perfect she looked before. Her eyes were the color of dark chocolate, smooth and inviting. Her hair was long and wavy, flowing down past her breasts, the color of marigolds.

"Kate" A hint of a smile lingering on her face, she probably knew I was sizing her up. She reached out and shook my hand in a polite gesture, I felt as though I had immersed my hand in icy cold water a gasp escaped my lips before I could stop myself. "Sorry, I have poor circulation" she took her hand back and rubbed them together, hoping to create some friction. I nodded, shaking it off.

"So uh…visiting Washington for vacation?" I figured I would try my best at conversation; we were only half way through our 6 hour flight

"Yeah, I have friends in Seattle…you?"

"Family" I rolled my eyes for dramatic effect, in truth though I'm excited about seeing my aunt again. It was different when I was twelve; I must have crushed on every boy down at the reservation without bothering to hide it. Gods I hope they don't remember, the thought of it just brings a blush to my face.

The rest of the trip was smooth, Kate was so different from anyone I had ever met before, she was intellectually eloquent, socially graceful and glamorous, everything that I ever wanted to be.

"So listen, since we both are going to be stuck in the same area for awhile we ought to get together and do some shopping, I'll help you fix your wardrobe, and give you some boy tips" she smiled mischievously, her offer sounded too good to resist.

"Next Friday at one, give me a call before then when you get directions." She said before disappearing into the crowded airport terminal.


	2. Sight

Oh I forgot to mention in the previous chapter that all the characters (with the exception of Kate) aren't mine and all that stuff you guys already knew. By the way Claire is 18 and Quil is 24.

_Quil_

I'm not really entirely sure about how I ended up in this position. I'm sitting in the car waiting, while nearly everyone else on the reservation gets to greet her off the plane? How did this even happen? Where does she get off telling me what to do anyhow?

"Go park the car" I mocked, agitated I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel. "Patience is a virtue." I reminded myself quickly.

After all, I am capable of seeing Emily's side of this. Every second of every day we're capable of losing control. Claire is her niece after all. I pressed my cheek against the side of the window. The cool glass calmed my nerves for only a minute. Only my nerves could say such things about Emily.

I've tried time and time again to picture what she would look like now, the last time I saw her she was only twelve. Six whole years ago and I can still remember it, she was cheeky and outspoken. Crushing on every single one of the pack, they loved every moment of it, never wasting a single one to joke about stealing her right from under my nose. I got my turn too. I don't understand what Emily and Sam think I wanted with her exactly it wasn't anything like that then. She was twelve and I was eighteen, nothing would have happened aside from a gentle and polite rejection if it ever even got that far. You would think they had it in their head that I was a pedophile.

So lost in my thoughts at this point that I jumped so high when the door opened and my head collided with the roof, white spots of light freckled my vision before I could clearly see Jared's mate.

"Oh calm down for heavens sake" Kim spouted at me, climbing into he back seat.

"Did you see her?" I demanded, I didn't want to play games with her or anyone else today, tense as I was.

"Yeah, they're getting her bags."

"Well?"

"Jeez Quil, What do you want me to say? She's a drop dead gorgeous Jessica Alba clone?"

"Is she?" I laughed at this one. I had been driving everyone nuts. But I told them it would be this way, as far as I'm concerned if you give someone proper notice it evens the playing field a bit.

"She's pretty" she admitted, purposely withholding information from me. If looks could kill Kim would be cold hard stone. "Straight black hair and green eyes, Satisfied?"

"Never," I only speak the truth.

"Well you will be soon because there they are"

My neck snapped so quickly in the direction of Kim's I knew I would be paying for it later. It didn't take my anytime at all to pick her out, Emily had one arm around her. And suddenly that was all I could see. This stunning girl, at which Kim's _description_ of her did no justice. She was on the shorter side, maybe 5'4 with hair that set just a few inches below her shoulders and side swept bangs. Her eye's we're the most curious, most of us had darker eyes but hers were an emerald color, sticking out against her tan skin and dark hair.

_Claire_

It was a little surprising and embarrassing to meet Jared and his wife at the airport along with my aunt and uncle. Jared was ONE of the many boys I crushed on at my last visit but maybe I was just making too much of it. Then Aunt Emily told my Quil was in the car, another knot hit my stomach… I was hoping I would have time to prepare before I saw everyone again, but here I go making a mountain out of a mole hill again.

Emily wrapped her shoulder around me, it wasn't hard to notice she was feeling tense, her hand gripped my shoulder a little harder then it should, she barked out Jared and Sam to grab my bags, Kim rushed ahead to meet us in the car.

My first Washington greeting was an icy blast of air not so different from the cold that I left in Boston, weren't people supposed to go to Florida on winter vacations? It wouldn't matter in a manner of seconds anyway when I felt Quil's stare I could have suffered a heat stroke from the temperature rise, I pulled myself as far back as the van would allow.

I apologize for the short chapter, I didn't have much time to write today and I figured I should at least post something!

Enjoy )


End file.
